Binks, The Phantom Menace: Book I
by patrickjwood
Summary: Set between episodes I & II, this novella follows the untold story of Jar-Jar Binks and his exploits across the galaxy. Little is known about Binks after his involvement in the Phantom Menace, with even less known about his surprising Sith origins. This is his untold tale.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Annora whipped out her cloth and wiped it across the newly elected Chancellor's desk. Though the air traffic of Coruscant was heavy, the floor-to-ceiling windows were thick and insulated from the droning noise of the vehicles outside. These were the times that she relished some peace and quiet. It was a rare privilege for someone like her.

Annora glossed the surface of the desk before moving into the next room, cleaning as she went. There were countless silver trinkets to sterilise, titanium door frames to decontaminate, carpeted floors to vacuum; all of which needed to be completed by the time the Chancellor arrived back from the funeral of Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi master who had fallen during the liberation of Naboo.

While it all sounded very interesting, Jedi and planetary unfettering were far beyond her jurisdiction. Annora had one job, a job which she intended to do well.

Annora was cleaning Chancellor's personal chamber, polishing a rather stubborn blemish left on a chrome statue, when she heard the door to the Chancellor's chambers open with a hiss. Startled, she slowly moved back towards the main chamber. But the Chancellor's voice gave her pause before she reached the doorway.

"The plan did not go as predicted," Chancellor Palpatine said. "Both Jedi were marked to die, not just Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

Annora froze, her breath catching in her chest.

"Mesa moved all the pieces into place. It's yousa own apprentice whosa failed in executing the plan properly," said a second voice, sternly.

Annora searched the room for a way out, but it was an enclosed space with little more than a few luxurious comforts. This was not a conversation she wanted to listen to. But with no way of escape - or openly revealing herself - she could do nothing but press her back against the wall and clutch her shaking hands to her chest.

Chancellor Palpatine gave a low grunt.

"My apprentice Darth Maul showed great promise, but his weakness came from his arrogance. He should not have underestimated the Jedi Kenobi. We must not underestimate Jedi Kenobi."

"Kenobi is irrelevant," said the second voice. "Yousa need to turn your attention to Skywalker now. Yousa have allowed him to slip through our fingers and into the Jedi order. This is unacceptable. Yousa need to begin his training immediately."

"Are you sure that he is the one to bring balance to the force? To restore the darkness against the light?"

"Mesa was there when Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn read Skywalker's midiclorians," the second voice stated.

"You and I both know that a midiclorian count is but ignorant conjecture trying to explain the mysteries and power of the force," Chancellor Palpatine retorted.

"Mesa is aware of this. But mesa is also certain of Skywalker."

Annora was shaking badly and she feared discovery by the Chancellor and his companion, who were somehow involved in the late Master Jedi's death. Knowing the senate had just elected the Chancellor, this knowledge and conspiracy could deliver Annora into a similar fate as the Jedi.

She needed to relax. Long ago, her mother had taught her a calming technique. The priests in the village used it, her mother had told her. By way of honouring her mother, Annora often practiced the technique at night, especially when she was afraid and alone.

She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, stilling her mind, letting her worries drift away.

"Mesa feel- "

"Yes. Yes, I feel it too," Chancellor Palpatine said quickly. "There is someone lingering in the next room. It could only be - ah yes. Annora, you can come out now."

Annora's knees almost buckled beneath her, but somehow she found her feet moving. She walked through the doorway and into the main chamber. Chancellor Palpatine was watching her, his hands folded in front of him. Standing next to him was a tall alien she'd never before seen, certainly not with the Chancellor. His long ears drooped below his shoulders; his skin was splotchy and mottled like that of an exotic reptile back on her own world. The eyes that protruded like antennae from the alien's head glowed as he examined Annora with great interest.

The alien turned to the Chancellor and said,

"Yousa been keeping secrets from mesa. Yousa have found another."

The Chancellor only smiled in response.


	2. Chapter 1 - Katine

**Chapter 1 - Katine**

* * *

"Yousa stay close and let mesa deal with the Senator," her master said, hitting the release button to the hatch of the spacecraft.

The compartment depressurized with a hiss, tendrils of steam spilling out into the night beyond. Annora shivered and drew her cloak tighter around her. Despite the chill, it was refreshing to finally feel fresh air upon her face again. She breathed in the dank and metallic odour of the city, marveling at the thousands of lights glittering like stars in the night sky. She couldn't help but feel a resonating longing for the familiar luminosities of Coruscant.

It had taken some time to reach the planet Katine, home to Senator Mo Tatora and vocal adversary of Chancellor Palpatine. Yet the trip had seemed relatively short due to developing a fast friendship with the two assistants on board - Gon Ror and Senti, twins from the planet Bindubi. They were Annora's age and products of similar upbringing to her own.

Annora and the twins had spent many sleepless hours bonding over their shared experiences, discussing family, hobbies, and dreams. She'd even taken a liking to Gon Ror, with his golden skin and crimson eyes - much to the delight of Senti, though Annora had sworn her to secrecy.

Annora confessed to them that Katine was the first planet she would have seen outside of Coruscant. Towering structures, contrived interiors, and dark alleyways were all she had ever known. Gon Ror and Senti were sympathetic, though they had visited many worlds during their travels. She'd found herself pressed against the windows as the spacecraft sailed over Katine's lush green forests and sparkling blue lakes, while a chuckling Captain Yen watched on. Soon they'd come to a sprawling city, much like Coruscant but architecturally different, touching down upon a raised platform.

They had come to Katine because its Senator, Mo Tatora, had extended an invitation to her master to visit the planet's capital; a planet known for its peaceful coexistence with the planet's native aquatic species – the Ooglan. It was common knowledge amongst the other Senators on Coruscant that Mo Tatora had recently developed a fascination for the Gungans - Naboo's own aquatic natives - especially regarding their involvement with the resistance during the blockade and droid incursion of Naboo.

Annora's master - a Gungan and newly appointed Bombad General – had accepted the invitation reluctantly, due in part to Chancellor Palpatine's view that the visit could prove opportunistic to their joint cause. But the details surrounding the visit were clouded in skepticism, and her master had planned accordingly.

Annora looked at her master standing silently next to her as the ramp descended to the deck below. He had donned the traditional dress of his species: a shirtless jacket and colorless, baggy pants. But Annora knew her master adopted the dress to perpetuate a clever ruse; that of a bumbling fool and innocuous companion to the Jedi. So far, none had seen through to his true identity as a plotter, schemer, and master manipulator. It was hard not to be impressed by how well her master had deceived even the greatest and powerful of Jedi.

The ramp whirred and touched down onto a long walkway. Ahead, an impeccably dressed man flanked by two armed guards was striding towards the spacecraft, grinning and arms open wide. His long cloak spilled out about his feet as he walked.

Annora narrowed her eyes at the armed guards who were – in her opinion - carrying more than standard-issue blasters. They certainly looked much bigger.

"I have a bad feeling about this, master," she said.

"Yousa keep an eye out for anything suspicious, mesa apprentice," her master whispered. "Mesa suspect not everything is as it seems. Mesa are replying on yousa to be mesa eyes and ears."

"Jar-Jar Binks, how good it is to see you," the man said. "Welcome to the capital of Katine. I trust your journey was smooth?"

"Yes, Senator Mo Totora! Mesa so glad to be here! Mesa so happy! Mesa so excited!"

Annora followed her master as he sprang down the ramp clumsily, falling into the senator's arms. It wasn't the first time Annora had heard her master's fake pidgin language. While his accent did have its peculiarities, her master deliberately dumbed down his speech to further imbed the deception he weaved.

"Well, Jar-Jar, I am glad to have you with us. We have many things to discuss. I am particularly interested in the customs and traditions of the Gungans. I do hope to visit Naboo again soon." Senator Mo Totora looked at Annora, one eyebrow raised. "And who do we have here?"

Her master slapped his head. "Oh, mesa sorry, sir! This is mesa's friend, Annora. Wesa become good friends, senator. Good friends!"

"An unusual companion, Jar-Jar," Mo Totora said, maintaining his grin. "It is nice to meet you Annora."

Annora flashed Mo Totora a small smile, noticing the sweat upon his brow and saying nothing. Her gaze moved to the armed guards next to him.

"Oh, ignore them," Mo Tatora said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They insist on following me around. It's pretty annoying, really, but enough idle chat. It's rude of me to keep my guests standing out in the cold. You must both be hungry, and I have prepared a great feast in your honour, Jar-Jar. Let me show you the way."

Mo Totora placed his hands around her master's shoulders and ushered him forward, starting down to the long walkway and away from their ship.

They had almost reached the far end of the walkway when Annora truly suspected something was amiss. While her master babbled away enthusiastically, she noticed the armed guards gripping their blasters tightly. Too tightly. And something just didn't feel right. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cool air, releasing her mind from all thoughts, exploring, reaching into the depths beyond, feeling for the source of her concern. She could almost sense the ripples of disturbance.

An explosion ripped through the night, throwing Annora forward, a wave of intense heat engulfing her. She threw her cloak over her face to ward against the scorching air. Chunks of metal began clanging down dangerously close around her.

Dazed, she turned to see black smoke billowing up from their spacecraft, flames beginning to consume the shattered silver hull. Melted segments of the ship fell from the platform and into the night below. Annora knew already that there was no way anyone on board could have survived the attack.

Annora tasted bile in the back of her throat. Captain Yen… Gon Ror… Senti… her friends.

Dead.

She gritted her teeth and turned back to her master, who was standing with his hands in the air. Several more guards were streaming down the walkway, surrounding the Gungan, their blasters pointed at his chest.

Two more guards broke away from the group. They reached Annora, pulling her to her feet, one pushing a blaster into her side painfully. She was dragged forward and shoved to stand beside her master. Annora could still feel the heat from the inferno burning her face.

"Mesa not understand, Senator!" Her master shouted, his ears flapping from side to side. "Yousa killed my crew!"

Senator Mo Tatora pulled out his own blaster and pointed it at the Gungan. His face was deadly serious when he spoke.

"I have known for a while now that you're not who you say you are, Jar-Jar. I have spoken with the High Council of Otoh Gunga and have discovered the true reasons behind your banishment. It seems as though you and Chancellor Palpatine have been friends for a long time, so I see now how deep the corruption festers. I intend to draw out information from you like a poison, Jar-Jar. Then I will expose your fellow conspirator, Palpatine, to the Senate and end this madness for good."

Mon Tatora pointed the blaster at Annora.

"As for you, foolish girl. I don't know how you are involved in all this, but I intend to find out."

Annora swallowed, staring down the barrel of the blaster. She couldn't say a word. She could only think about the corpses of her friends turning to ashes. She felt tears well in her eyes, letting them steam down her cheeks unabashed.

Her master broke down, his own fat tears streaming down his muzzle.

"Mesa don't know what you're saying. Mesa don't know Chancellor Palpi. Mesa was banished from Otoh Gunga for being clumsy. Please, Senator."

Mo Tatora pointed the blaster back to Annora's master and snarled. "Tell it to the countless innocents who have already died under the Chancellor's command, Jar-Jar. As far as I'm concerned, you are scum. And in the end, you will rot."

Mo Totora turned to the guards.

"Take them away to the cells. We'll begin the interrogations immediately. Oh, and Jar-Jar," Mon Totora shoved the blaster underneath her master's throat, "Welcome again to Katine."

* * *

 _Afterward: Thank you to everyone who have taken time to read my story. I sincerely hope that you are enjoying the tale thus far. I'd also love to hear your thoughts, regardless of your opinions of this story. Every comment helps me improve my writing. Chapter 2 is currently being edited and will be uploaded shortly._


	3. Chapter 2 - Patience

**Chapter 2 - Patience**

* * *

Annora drew her legs up against her chest, staring without seeing. Her mind was still roiling, the loss of her friends gnawing at her insides like a festering wound. The faces of Gon Ror and Senti were imprinted in her memory; their laughs, their strangely similar mannerisms. Three lives had been extinguished in a single moment. Each had had his or her own dreams, loves, and wants. She'd barely known Captain Yen, but Annora knew him as a kind and gentle man who could discern more from a flashing navigational switchboard than she ever thought possible. But now he too was gone.

Her throat constricted, her hands bunching into fists.

She couldn't even recall the last conversation she'd had with Gon Ror and Senti. Somehow she felt as though she was dishonouring their legacy already.

"Yousa need to learn to harness your emotions, mesa apprentice. Let yousa anger flow forth." Her master was watching her from the other side of the cell, his golden eyes glowing like beacons in the shadows.

Annora gritted her teeth, hating Katine, hating its people, and especially hating Mo Tatora, the treacherous Clanker. She kneaded her temples with her knuckles, feeling a headache developing. It was as though her mind was on fire, the cinders scolding the far corners of her thinking.

"Yousa body burns for revenge. Mesa can feel the energy coming from your hatred. But yousa know what wesa dealing with now."

"Why did you bring me here?" Annora asked, squeezing her eyes closed against the pain. "I know now you never believed Mo Tatora's invitation to Katine was genuine. You always knew he'd betray you. So why? Why did Gon Ror and Senti and Captain Yen have to die? You could have stopped it."

"Thisa true. Mesa knew senator Mo Tatora would betray mesa. But people like Senator Mo Totora… Theysa always choose death before theysa choose to work together. Yousa needed to understand the reasons why Palpatine and mesa are working toward a Galactic Empire under one leader."

"But my friends… they're dead," Annora whispered, feeling tears on her cheeks again. She could hardly believe this had anything to do with galactic politics.

"Theysa died so that yousa can save more lives by helping mesa destroy people like Mo Tatora," her master said. "Yousa need to decide whether theysa – yousa friends - worth avenging."

Annora opened her eyes and glared at her master. He looked at her blankly, betraying none of his own feelings. But she could sense within him a great power… a rotting anger that run deep within his life-force.

"Yousa feel it, don't yousa?"

"Yes, I feel it." Annora bowed her head, becoming aware of the currents surrounding her, the darkness seeping into the fabric of reality itself.

"Are yousa willing to learn the ways of true power? Are yousa willing to learn the power to avenge yousa friends?"

Annora looked up. "I want to learn."

Her master nodded and smiled, his eyes glowing brighter.

"Then wesa must bide our time and wait to strike."

* * *

An indeterminable period passed in the semi-darkness, allowing Annora time to think. Her master was still, his eyes closed as though he were sleeping. She studied him, noting the measured way he breathed and masking the undercurrent of power residing within him. She recognised now the resemblance to her mother's own calming technique, which Annora had learned long ago. This fact alone raised questions Annora was afraid to seek out.

Then there was Chancellor Palpatine, central to the maelstrom of deception and manipulation she'd already witnessed. Inadvertently, it was he who'd caused Gon Ror and Senti's deaths. It was he who these people wanted to hurt.

But she could spend her life cursing Chancellor Palpatine and her master, seeking revenge upon them if she could manage it. They alone could be the fuel for her destructive flame. But the truth was that never before had Annora had never felt so valued, or wanted. All her life she'd been a nobody; a seemingly ethereal spirit no one noticed or cared about. Her cleaning wage was a pittance compared to others, her dorms cramped and noisy, her life miserable and lonely. She hadn't even a friend to confide in.

All this had changed when Chancellor Palpatine offered her more that fateful day in his chambers. He had offered her a chance for a new life, for adventure, and to be finally esteemed by people like Captain Yen. It was far better a life than she could have imagined for herself.

Now Annora was someone. And she could feel a power burning within her, begging for release.

She sighed, standing and began pacing around her enclosed prison. The cell was archaic, little more than two solid benches behind metal bars. Across the room was a solid metal door, which had only been opened once when Mo Tatora had left with his personal guard. Everything else in the room was bare, leaving any way of escape impossible.

"Patience, mesa apprentice." Her master had not moved, his eyes still closed. "It won't be long now."

Annora sat down on the bench again, massaging her legs, thinking of Gon Ror, Senti, and Captain Yen. Someone was going to pay for their deaths, and Annora would be the one to collect. This she promised.

* * *

The metal door crashed open and a uniformed guard entered, his blaster trained on their cell. A squat alien followed in his wake, its blue eyes staring fixedly on her master. Its face was round and pudgy like a bloated toad and it waddled as it walked. But its odd appearance and shabby dress did little to dispel the hungry look upon its face.

Her master stood slowly, turning to face the newcomers.

The alien walked up to the metal bars and paused, fat hands clasped together behind its back. It looked Annora's master up and down, lifting one hand to scratch idly at the stubble on its chin. The armed guard stood to one side, his blaster sure and steady.

"Igu is disappointed," the alien croaked. "When Mo Tatora told Igu you was dangerous, Igu expected… well… something more than a skinny runt like you. He said you was a job worthy of Igu's skills."

"Mesa don't want to disappoint yousa," her master said, the sides of his muzzle raising into a small smile.

The alien – Igu she suspected – chuckled. "Igu likes the confident ones. It is so much more satisfying when Igu breaks them."

Igu turned his frosty gaze to Annora. "Igu has plans for you too. Igu knows many who would be willing to pay for a slave, even one without feet." He grinned, revealing several rows of nasty, rotted teeth. Annora screwed her nose up at Igu's putrid breath. Uncertainty trickled down her spine, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Yousa will not touch her," her master said, raising his hands.

The guard snapped into action, the sound of his blaster powering up, its tip glowing red. "Hands down, prisoner."

Igu's chuckle rumbled deep within his throat and he wrapped his fat hands around the metal bars to their cell. He spoke directly to Annora's mater.

"Igu will enjoy making you watch as Igu pries her toes off, one-by-one."

"Yousa can let mesa out now," her master said, his fingers waving in the air. Annora felt a wisp of power pass through the bars like smoke in the night.

Igu stood motionless, his swollen face stretching into another hideous grin.

Her master grunted, confused.

Igu gave another rumbling chuckle. "It's true, then. Mo Tatora suspected you knew the filth of the force, like a Jedi. But Igu has broken many Jedi and you are no Jedi. A Jedi would know better than to try to use sullied mind tricks on this planet. Mo Tatora will be very pleased to know his suspicions was right."

Annora's heart sank. She had hoped her master had a plan to break free, but it seemed to have failed. Whatever he had tried to do had had no effect on Igu or the guard.

"Igu will enjoy cutting you. Igu's instructions was to send pieces of you back to Coruscant. But first, Igu will eat the flesh of your friend. Igu will feast tonight! Open the cell!" Igu shook the bars and roared with laughter, tendrils of spittle dangling from his mouth.

Annora backed up against the cell's walls, her legs buckling beneath her.

"Yousa die now," her master told Igu.

His tongue whipped, latching onto the guard's blaster, ripping it from his grasp. The guard scrambled to reclaim the weapon, but her master recoiled his tongue and seized the blaster. There was a deafening blast and Annora shielded her face as a splattering of blood hit her.

She heard Igu squeal before another thundering blast sounded. Silence followed.

Annora sat shaking, droplets of blood running down her face and dripping onto the floor. She slowly lowered her arms and saw Igu's corpse on the floor, smoke streaming from a crater in its skill.

Her master was rustling around in the headless guard's pockets, producing a green keycard. He turned and showed it to Annora. His own face was covered in blood, both red and green, but he grinned at her anyway.

"If yousa have patience, yousa rewarded in the end."

He stood and tapped the keycard against the bars, which vanished into the floor with a hiss. He stepped over Igu's corpse and walked through the doorway, leaving the room.

He poked his head back through.

"Yousa want revenge or not?" He asked Annora.

She didn't even need to consider the answer, climbing to her feet instead and making a point of crunching down upon Igu's hand as she followed her master through the doorway.

* * *

 _Afterward: Thank you once again for taking time to read this story. Each and every view pushes me to write, and each review - good or bad - is much appreciated. I'm currently working on chapter 3, but it may be a few days before I can draft, edit, and complete it. I hope you stick around. PJW._


	4. Chapter 3 - Choices

**Chapter 3 – Choices**

* * *

Annora shadowed her master down the dimly lit corridor, adrenaline coursing through her veins like a rogue fire. She used the back of her sleeve to wipe away the dried blood on her face, trying to ignore the fact that it had once belonged to a living individual. The memory of Igu's mangled corpse endured in her mind, but Annora knew in her heart that justice had been delivered. Her master had seen to Igu never again hurting another person or creature. Death – it seemed – was but a tool for her master. He had not faltered as he pulled the trigger, comfortable in the knowledge that he was about to end a life.

This is what shocked Annora most.

For the first time she questioned her role in all this. Apprenticed to her master obviously came with expectations. Would Annora be expected to pull the trigger? Would she be expected to kill? If so, she already knew she couldn't do it. To take a life – a life like that of Gon Ror and Senti – was too overwhelming for her to consider let alone accomplish. She pushed the unpleasant thought away, hoping she'd never be asked to do the impossible.

They slowed to a stop when they saw the corridor was branching out into two separate, narrower corridors. Annora propped herself up against the wall, trying to catch her breath, marveling at her master's indefatigable demeanor. He looked as though he'd just taken a leisurely stroll outside rather than having fled prison.

Her master considered the two paths, running his long fingers along his muzzle contemplatively, his other hand still gripping the blaster he'd snatched from the guard.

"Mesa know the way, but wesa got to be careful now. Wesa don't want to alert anyone to oursa movements."

Annora nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow, her hand coming away red and sticky. Surprisingly, their path so far had been unimpeded with no signs of guards anywhere – not even a single maintenance droid. Foreboding nagged at her thoughts, probing the peripheries of her consciousness.

Annora closed her eyes, reaching out and touching the invisible ripples surrounding her mind. There was more to this stroke of providence – to their unimpeached escape – than she realised. But grasping the intruding sensation was like trying to stop water from trickling between your fingers – it simply slipped away and was gone. There was little use in worrying about it now.

"What's our next move, master?" Annora asked, opening her eyes.

"Wesa need to find three traitors before wesa leave this place, mesa apprentice. Theysa pose a great threat to oursa cause… theysa know too much already. Wesa got to make sure theysa silenced for good."

Annora swallowed hard, searching her master's face for answers.

"You mean to kill them?" she asked, feeling as though she'd uttered a statement and not a question.

Her master nodded, his ears swaying slightly as he spoke. "Sometimes wesa have no choice. Sometimes wesa kill if wesa must. Wesa not the Jedi, weak and easily deceived. Wesa do what wesa _must_ to win."

A lump was forming in her throat. She had feared his answer, fearing too that he was willing to kill indiscriminately to ensure total victory. Annora knew her own fate and decisions hinged upon her next question.

"What about innocent people? Do we kill them too – if we _must_?"

Her master stared at her, his golden eyes softening. "Of course not, mesa apprentice. Wesa not monsters. Wesa want to bring stability to the galaxy, not terror."

Annora felt a heavy burden lifted from her shoulders, though uncertainty still hampered her heart.

"It gladdens me to hear it, master, but I cannot kill anyone," she admitted, bowing her head. "I cannot take a life."

Her master placed a hand on her shoulder. "Could yousa kill to save someone from a creature like Igu?"

Annora searched her feelings, remembering the rows of rotting teeth, the rank stench of Igu's breath upon her face, the promise to consume her flesh and relishing the moment. She looked up, teeth clenched, eyes narrowed.

"Could yousa save someone like Gon Ror or Senti?" her master asked.

Words were not needed. Creatures like Igu needed to be obliterated from the universe. The weakness within Annora evaporated, solidifying instead into a hard determination. Her master returned her a knowing look.

"Wesa go looking for Commander Dunjok first. Hesa responsible for the Senator's personal guard. Hesa planning on telling hesa force about oursa plans soon. Wesa must stop him before hesa does."

"Why is he so important?" Annora asked. "Isn't Senator Mo Tatora the person we're after?"

"Wesa must cut out all the rot, not just the centre of it. Commander Dunjok is a dangerous person, mesa apprentice. Too dangerous to keep alive."

"What did this Commander Dunjok do exactly?"

"Hesa killed a lot of mesa friends. Theysa good friends too." Her master's ears pricked up, abruptly. "Wesa got to go."

Annora followed her master down the right corridor, trying to stay quiet. It wasn't long until they paused in front of an elevator door: an unremarkable feature in an otherwise unremarkable wall. She had expected her master to press the call button, but was surprised when he wormed his fingers into the jamb and forced the doors open.

A blast of hot air greeted them and Annora stepped back, shielding her eyes, her clothing flapping against the ferocious current.

"Yousa first. Theresa ladder you can climb over to the side," her master shouted over the noise.

Annora peered disbelievingly at her master through the gap in her arms. He had to be kidding. No sane person would knowingly climb into an elevator shaft unless they wanted to die. She could hear the whirring and strumming of the thick cables echoing from inside the cavity.

"Hurry, mesa apprentice, hurry. Theresa isn't much time." His arms were shaking from the effort of keeping the doors open, the blaster dangling from a strap.

Annora shook her head, not quite herself as she ducked under her master's arms and into the darkness beyond. Her stomach dropped as she peered into the abyss below, her hands shaking as she reached for the metal rung of the ladder on the adjacent wall.

Her hand slipped on her first attempt because her palms were sweaty. She tried again, this time managing to grab ahold of the bar and pull herself over the threshold. She clutched to the ladder, pressing her entire body against the warm metal, her heart thumping heavily against her ribcage.

This was madness. This was insanity. She was hanging in the middle of an elevator shaft!

There was a thunderous crack and suppressed a shout as she was plunged into darkness. But a moment later, her master touched her leg reassuringly. He had leapt from the doorway and onto the ladder with her.

"Climb, mesa apprentice. Wesa go two floors up. Hurry or wesa gonna be riding thisa elevator down and down."

Another rush of hot air hit Annora, forcing her to again cling to the ladder. Her mind whirled and spun, her stomach not faring much better. The elevator's cables clanged together piercingly; her own personal symphony of horror.

 _Come on, Annora. You can do this. Climb, you Clanker!_

Annora pulled her hand away from the first rung and slapped it down upon the next. She wrenched herself up, pulling her hand away before reaching for the next. She was moving, her arms burning, her muscles protesting.

There was another rush of hot air and the cables ceased their clanging. The silence was suddenly palpable. Annora looked down and felt her heart jump into her throat. Below, two pin-pricks of light were racing toward them.

The elevator was coming.

"Go," her master yelled. "Wesa almost there!"

Annora climbed faster now, ignoring the pain in her arms, knowing that she'd feel nothing if she didn't hurry. The whirring grew louder and louder, closer and closer. The cables were clanging again, the air so powerful it was propelling her onward.

Annora climbed, gritting her teeth.

Lights illuminated the walls, dimly, then like beacons. The ladder was shaking, jolting her, threatening to throw her. She reached for another rung, tears running down her face.

Annora was wretched from the ladder and she screamed, knowing the end had come. She fell but was jerked aside just as the elevator zoomed past her. She landed backward into a stainless-white hallway, the doors to the elevator snapping shut in front of her with a resounding crack.

She lay panting on her back, her eyes blurry from the intense light emanating from the ceiling. Her heart was threatening to jump from her chest, her head throbbing from exertion. A shadow loomed over her, blotting out the light.

Annora sat up, bracing herself with her hands against the polished floor. Her master's grinning face materialised into focus.

"That was close, mesa apprentice. But mesa think we take the stairs next time."

Annora groaned and collapsed onto the floor again.


	5. Chapter 4 - Power

**Chapter 4 – Power**

* * *

They set off down a series of twisting corridors and ascending stairwells, navigating their way through an endless maze of identical walls and floors. For all Annora knew, they could have been trekking the same ground, each turn revealing yet another stretch of pristine-whiteness and bright lights. But her master seemed to know exactly where they were going, pausing only for a moment to consider the next break or divergence in the path.

The filtered air made her eyes water and the strong scent of disinfectant tickled the back of her throat and nose, yet she could only push on without complaint. She was just thankful that she wasn't being asked to climb any elevator shafts. A wave of fatigue washed over her, and she fought the urge to stop and rest. So much had happened since their arrival on Katine. Her emotions swirled around her; heartache, fear, anxiety, relief. She felt them all keenly, and they weighed heavily upon her.

They turned another corner, again vacant, again as identical as the last. Annora began wondering how long their luck would hold. There were no signs of anyone anywhere. She conjectured that it was either too early or two late for anyone to be patrolling the corridors, but that wouldn't account for the lack of droids. The more worrying answer was that someone was allowing them to continue unimpeded, which made her feel like a rat in an impossible maze.

Nerves gnawed at her insides. She was next to useless in all this. While the deaths of her friends drove her onward, she had no talent with weapons, no formal training in physical combat, no ability to stand and protect herself. She relied completely on her master to shield her from danger. And she would have died at the bottom of an elevator shaft if it weren't for his quick thinking and skill. Annora didn't know what she could do to help when they caught up with Commander Dunjok. Really, she could only hope to come out of it alive.

An unpleasant sensation washed over her again and she closed her eyes, seeking the the source, using the calming technique her mother had taught her. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and emotion. It was akin to a slow pulsing energy, emanating from somewhere above her, a fleeting shadow, a dangerous aura. She could feel it watching her, testing her, waiting.

She reached, seeking, searching. And then it was gone.

"Master, I think someone is watching us… somehow," Annora said.

"Mesa feel it too, mesa apprentice. Yousa more connected with the energy that surrounds yousa. Mesa have mesa suspicions, and mesa think theysa trying to find us."

"Why don't they just raise the alarm?"

"Theysa trying to be safe. Theysa already breached many laws surrounding oursa arrival. The Senate: theysa not going to be happy when theysa hear of this. Politics," her master said, distastefully. "Keep close, mesa apprentice."

They rounded a bend. Ahead, she could see a steel door imbedded in the wall. It was different to the other doors she'd seen around the complex. More solid looking. Her master approached the door, raising the blaster. He thumbed off the safety, and the blaster hummed to life.

"Thisa the sleeping quarters of Commander Dunjok," her master whispered. "Wesa must be prepared for anything."

"Master, I'm not sure what I can do to help," Annora said, shuffling behind the Gungan. Commander Dunjok was behind this door. And they were about to kill him.

"Yousa be my eyes and ears," her master said.

"Yes, I tried that once and they blew up our ship," Annora said.

Her master ignored her and pushed a panel on the side of the wall. The door slid open. It was deserted inside. And dark. Her master stepped tentatively through the doorway. Annora followed, scanning the interior for Commander Dunjok. He was nowhere to be seen. Lights flashed from the computer terminals lining the walls, illuminating the gloom of the room in intermittent waves. The room consisted of little more than a solid-looking bed, steel storage containers, and a few indistinguishable personal affects.

Her master swung the blaster from one wall to the next, searching the corners.

"Mesa know yousa in here, Dunjok. Yousa make it easy and come out now."

The room was utterly silent, except Annora could hear herself breathing heavily. Her master stepped again, his blaster still raised. She had to stop herself from clinging onto his jacket for support. But the room was empty of anyone else. Her master must have made a mistake.

"Master, I can't see him anywhere," Annora said.

"Hesa is here, mesa –

A shadow descended upon her master and the blaster went off. The room flashed red and a computer terminals exploded, showering sparks. Annora shouted in surprise, stumbling back as the shadow advanced upon her. She scrambled for the open door, but it whooshed shut just as she reached its threshold. The room was plunged into darkness.

"Those who dare enter my quarters uninvited forfeit their life." The voice was deep and resounding; powerful. Commander Dunjok.

Annora braced herself against the wall and began to shuffle to the left. She felt a rush of air kiss her face, followed by the sound of rending metal. Light flooded the room, through a gaping hole made in the door next to her. But the light also fell upon a scarred face and green eyes, turned in her direction.

She opened her mouth to shout, but there was a thundering crack and the door next to her shattered. Annora fell back again, shielding her face. A reverberating roar came from Commander Dunjok, sending chills down her spine.

"You're a traitorous fool, Binks. You're a menace and a phantom. I will break your bones and grind them into the dirt."

The dust settled, and the light from the corridor illuminated a horrifying scene before her. Commander Dunjok, a massive and towering alien, holding a squirming Gungan in his meaty grasp. Her master's blaster had fallen to the floor.

Her heart pounded against her ribs and she scrambled forward, reaching for the blaster.

"I don't think so, runt." Commander Dunjok stomped down upon the weapon, breaking it in half. Before Annora could scramble away again, he lashed out with his other foot, catching her directly in the stomach. The wind whooshed out of her and she felt as though she'd been hit by a runaway cruiser. She dropped to the floor, dry-retching, clutching her stomach.

"Now you die, Binks."

Annora could barely see through watery eyes at Commander Dunjok's wicked grin. There was a flash of blue and Commander Dunjok roared again, releasing her master. Her master advanced on his enemy, lighting spilling out of his hands, crackling around the room. Annora gaped, unaware that her master possessed such power. She tried to get to her feet, but her legs gave out beneath her. Her stomach groaned and protested such movements.

"Yousa been a thorn in oursa side too long, Dunjok. Yousa are going to die now, mesa think."

Another crackle of lighting and her master took another step forward. But then Commander Dunjok reached out and clasped his hands around her master's wrists, and the lighting fizzled and disappeared.

"I have fought in countless battles, Binks. I have killed Jedi more powerful than you before the first meal of the day. This is where your story ends. And after you," Commander Dunjok turned his head to look at Annora, "I'm going to tear apart her limbs and eat her insides."

Annora's world settled into darkness, but she felt no fear.

Only anger.

* * *

 _Afterward: I'm sorry for the delay. This chapter has been particularly troublesome. While short, I'm endeavoring to make them as long as I think is suitable. I hope you'll stick with me. Leave a review if you like: all are welcome. Thanks for reading._


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